Broadly speaking, flaky is NOT a good thing. Especially when it comes to a person’s character. But when we’re talking biscuits, it is! And trust me when I tell you, these are the Flakiest Masa Harina Biscuits in existence! If you are going to make and bake something from scratch, then it better be light, delectable and outstanding.
Although biscuits are not a Mexican pastry, they have become honorary, and beloved, members of the Mexican Pan de Dulce Hall of Fame. And by using Masa Harina (ground dried elote or corn kernels and the exact same flour used to make Tortillas, Tamales, Sopes and many other Mexican goodies) we give these biscuits even more of a Mexican twist.
I don’t know about you, but I definitely prefer my biscuits flaky. Far too often I have come across recipes in which the biscuits turn out chunky and somewhat tough. Because I wanted above all else to avoid this much dreaded pastry pitfall, I decided to try the fraisage (or frasage) method. And that made all the difference in the world for these perfect, oh-so-tender and Flakiest Masa Harina Biscuits.
What on earth is fraisaige, you ask? Well, it’s a badass French pastry technique. Like with other doughs for crusts and biscuits, you will cut your butter into chunks and then add the liquid. Pretty much what you would do with your usual biscuit and pie crust pastry dough, right? Take note now, because here’s where fraisage departs from the most habitual dough. You will dump your dry ingredients on a flat work surface, pile them up and then you will use the heel of your hand to smear the butter into the flour. When you apply this motion, you will create longer layers or “laminates” of butter and flour. This will result in extra flakiness.
Julia Child was a fan of this French fraisage method. I must say, when you sink your avid teeth into these Flakiest Masa Harina Biscuits you will agree with her. I know I did! And while fraisage doesn’t have a highly noticeable impact in a pie crust (although it definitely makes it better), for biscuits it certainly does, and in a huge way!
I have accompanied my biscuits with a delicious Poblano Corn Gravy (the recipe is included here). But you will want to bake them and eat them too just as they come out of the oven (try and let them cool down a bit before you do that, will you?). You can also enjoy them with soups, stews (Fall is here already) or with jam or jelly. Indulge just as you would with any other biscuit!
Flakiest Masa Harina Biscuits
Ingredients
- For the Biscuits:
- 2 1/4 cups All-purpose flour See notes
- 1 1/2 cups Masa Harina See notes
- 2 tbsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter 1 stick, cold.
- 2 cups Buttermilk cold
- For the gravy:
- 1 unit Poblano pepper seeded and deveined, reserve a few diced pieces for your gravy
- 1 can White or Yellow corn reserve 2 tbsp of the kernels for your gravy
- 1 cup Cottage cheese
- 1/4 White onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 tbsp Granulated chicken bouillon
- 1 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
Instructions
- Make the biscuits:
- In a large bowl, using a fork combine the first six (dry) biscuit ingredients. Slice the butter sticks into 10 – 12 cubes each. Dump the butter into the flour mix and coat it in the flour, tossing it around.
- Turn over the bowl contents onto a clean, flat working surface. With the heel of your hand press firmly down and then with outward motion one piece of butter at a time into the surrounding flour. With long stretching movements, smear layers of butter. Remember, do this one piece of butter at a time. Repeat with the remaining butter.Now, using a pastry cutter or bench scraper cut the butter into the flour. Gather the flour with the bench scraper and cut and repeat. You want smaller and larger pieces of butter.
- Pour gradually the cold buttermilk onto the flour/butter mix. Using either your hands or a silicone spatula, stir the buttermilk into the rest of the ingredients just until combined. It will look rough and sticky but it should come together.Cut the dough in half, layer the the other half on top. Flatten the dough by firmly pressing down on it and cut it in half once more. Repeat this step. You will create layers by doing this.
- Cut out as many biscuits as you can with a biscuit cutter, a cookie cutter or an inverted glass. Cut all the way down It is important not to shake the cutter, as this would prevent the biscuit from rising (by shaking the cutter you would inadvertently seal the edges of the biscuits, thus impeding hot air pockets to form inside). Regather the dough, stack again and cut again. Repeat until you have cut out your 12 biscuits.Line a baking pan with parchment. Place the biscuits together, touching.
- Preheat oven to 450F while you chill the biscuits in your fridge for 20 minutes.
- Bake biscuits for 20 minutes until golden brown all over.
- Make the gravy:
- Blend the first seven gravy ingredients (except for the reserved Poblano pieces and corn kernels) until smooth. In a heavy saucepan, over low-medium heat melt the butter Pour the blended Poblano/corn mix into the saucepan, stirring often. Mix the 2 tbsp of cornstarch with 3 or 4 tbsp of cold tap water. Mix well. Pour this into the saucepan along with the reserved diced Poblano and corn kernels. Bring the gravy to a boil, still stirring and watching it so it doesn't boil over. Once it thickens, turn off the heat and reserve until biscuits are ready. Enjoy!
Notes
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